Mentoring Authors One Scene at a Time – Thriller/Military/Non-Fiction/SF/Fantasy
Posted on November 24, 2019 by Randy
This post will analyze the the Episode 3, titled “Nixon’s Women”, of the For All Mankind television series using the 5 Commandments of Storytelling and the Editor’s 6 Core Questions from the book The Story Grid by Shawn Coyne.
Obviously, I will be discussing plot points from the television series For All Mankind. So, check it out before reading further.
Nixon orders a co-priority to train a woman astronaut
Tracy realizes she is being favored in the grading to graduate and become the poster girl for the women’s program.
Does Tracy quit or drive on? For tracy, the stakes are high: if she quits, she gives up her dreams and she gives up on herself. If she continues, she make take a position from a woman that truly deserves the position.
Tracy chooses to continue.
Tracy helps a fellow trainee and proves to herself that she belongs.
Once again, the 5 commandments are met and there is still enough room at the end for a cliffhanger when there is an accident and the screenwriters do a great job of building the tension on who might be injured. It ends up not being Tracy, but Patty. Really good writing here.
This series is really working for me and it is doing a good job following the 5 commandments for each episode. I’m super happy with the screenwriters here.
If you want to see more applications of the Story Grid methodology, below are links to my analysis of various novels and television shows in blog posts and podcasts:
Story Grid Showrunners Podcast – Parul, Melanie, and I analyze hit TV series using the Story Grid methodology.
My blog posts analyzing other Television series – my person take using the Story grid 5 Commandments to look at my favorite TV series – Jack Ryan, Batgirl, For All Mankind, Hanna, and more.
Novel analysis – I analyze some of my favorite books using the Story Grid 5 Commandments and 6 core questions – First Blood, Old Man’s War, Waylander, and more to come!
Category: 5 Commandment Episodes, 5 commandments, 6 core questions, Authors, For All Mankind, Screenwriters, Story Grid, television, tv series, WritersTags: astronaut, NASA, Race for the Base, Space Race
Afghanistan 2002.
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